Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly showing a ‘strong interest’ in signing Parma defender Giovanni Leoni, as per Caught Offside.
Although the Lilywhites were good going forward last term, they struggled with defensive frailties, conceding 65 goals in 38 Premier League matches.
As a result, Spurs endured a dire campaign, finishing 17th and losing 22 games. Only three relegated teams endured more defeats than the North London club.
Tottenham currently have Cristian Romero, Micky Van de Ven, Radu Dragusin, and Kevin Danso as options to deploy in the centre-back position. However, Romero has been linked with a move away, while Dragusin has been out with a serious knee injury.
Now, Caught Offside claim that Spurs are planning to add depth to the defensive department and are showing a ‘strong interest’ in Leoni after monitoring his development closely.
The Lilywhites are even preparing to table a £21m bid to seal the deal. However, Parma don’t want to let him leave for anything less than £30m with his existing deal set to run until 2029.
Leoni to Tottenham
After moving to Ennio Tardini from Sampdoria last summer, the 18-year-old played as a rotational option, making only 17 Serie A appearances last term.
Still, he managed to showcase glimpses of his qualities and displayed his best against Juventus. So, this shows he has the temperament to step up in big matches and even helped his side survive relegation.
The report say that the youngster’s eye-catching performances haven’t just attracted the North London club’s attention, as AC Milan, Inter Milan, and Napoli have also expressed their interest.
Tottenham have the policy of signing talented young players from all around the world and providing them with the platform to develop. They recently purchased Archie Gray, Wilson Odobert, and Lucas Bergvall. Now, it appears they have identified Leoni, standing at 6ft 5in tall, as a serious option.
The youngster is a talented player with high potential, so he would be a shrewd acquisition for Tottenham with a view to the long-term future if they purchase him.
However, it is going to be interesting to see whether the North London club eventually make a concrete approach to secure his service this summer.
